The TSA will use facial recognition in over 400 airports
AI-ethics advocates say there’s evidence the program is already violating travelers’ consent.
From Fast Company and the Verge
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is preparing to expand its controversial facial recognition program to around 430 airports over the next “several years” after finding “extremely promising” results from its pilot program, an agency spokesperson tells Fast Company. The expansion comes amid allegations by rights advocates that the agency is improperly coercing travelers to participate.
According to a TSA assessment of a pilot program that’s now under way at 25 airports, the agency has determined that its facial matching algorithms are 97% effective “across demographics, including dark skin tones,” says TSA press secretary Robert Langston, adding that the agency would not be publicly releasing the final results of the tests, which span two years of data.
The Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) says there are reasons to be concerned about facial recognition software being used by government agencies that go beyond its efficacy among different demographic groups. EPIC says the US has no overarching laws when it comes to its use of facial recognition tech, putting travelers’ civil rights and privacy at risk.
Eventually, the TSA would like biometric recognition to be mandatory. During a South by Southwest (SXSW) fireside chat earlier this year, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said it would eventually be required across the board, citing effectiveness and efficiency. He also said “in our own testing, we show no statistically-significant variation across demographic groups,” going on to say the TSA wants to be as transparent as it can about the program. However, the agency told Fast Company it will not release the results of its two years pilot testing publicly.
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